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Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder – yellow corn, smoky poblano peppers, and shredded chicken all in a creamy, cheesy chowder base. The secret? Red salsa and smoky-spicy chipotle chiles in adobo. These two ingredients take this chowder from good to oh my gosh, I need another bowl. It’s a little spicy, super creamy, and so delicious. Top each bowl with crispy homemade bacon bits, melty cheddar, and plenty of avocado. Serve it as is, or with tortilla chips sprinkled with sea salt and lime.
I was actually going to save this recipe for a couple of weeks, but then my mom stepped in and set me straight. “Why not share it now? It’s seasonal and SO DELICIOUS,” she said. And, well…mom’s right.
So here we are, chowder on a Monday in mid-August. Even if it’s warm out, you can totally make this work—turn the AC up, crack the windows, or just embrace the cozy vibes. Honestly, you’ll want to make it now while the corn is at its sweetest.
This chowder is what happens when my corn chowder, chicken tortilla soup, and creamy queso all get together. I threw them into one pot, and wow—it’s everything I hoped for. If you’ve got more corn than you know what to do with, this is your answer. Make a double batch and freeze half for those crisp fall days ahead. Oh, and maybe bake up a loaf of beer bread while you’re at it. Cozy, cheesy, and perfect.
These are the details
Ingredients
- bacon
- onion
- garlic
- yellow corn kernels
- chicken breasts
- cumin
- paprika
- salt and pepper
- broth
- poblano peppers
- milk
- cream cheese
- red salsa
- chipotle chiles in adobo
- cheddar cheese
- cilantro
- tortilla chips, avocado, and cheddar cheese for topping
Steps
Step 1: crisp up the bacon
In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until it’s crispy. I like to dice mine super small for the best homemade bacon bits—they’re so good on top of a bowl of chowder, you can’t skip them! Remove the bacon and set aside for topping.
Step 2: make the chowder
Add the onion, garlic, and poblano peppers to the pot. Cook until softened, then stir in the cumin and smoked paprika. Pour in the broth, then add the chicken and corn. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily, about 15 mins.
Step 3: purée the chowder
Ladle some of the chowder into a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot). Add the salsa and chipotle chiles to the blender and purée until mostly smooth, leaving a few kernels of corn for texture. Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Step 4: finish the soup
Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and cheddar. Simmer until the broth thickens, becomes extra creamy, and the cheese has fully melted. At this point, the chowder will smell amazing!
Serve
Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with more cheese, the reserved bacon, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro. I love serving this with tortilla chips for scooping—kind of like a queso, and so delicious.
Looking for other corn recipes? Here are some favorites:
Crockpot White Chicken Chili Burrito Bowls
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Creamy Corn, Zucchini, and Bacon Chowder
Honey Garlic Shrimp, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Salad
Garlic Herb Corn Carbonara with Burrata
Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn
Lastly, if you make this Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chipotle Queso Chicken Corn Chowder
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 682 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups yellow corn kernels (4-5 ears corn)
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt and black pepper
- 3 cups broth
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 cups milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, melted
- 2 cups red salsa
- 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilies in adobo
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- avocado, cheddar, and so many tortillas chips for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve for topping.2. To the pot, add the onion, the garlic, and the poblano peppers, cook until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, corn, and chicken. Season with more salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.3. Transfer 3/4 of the chowder to a blender, leaving the chicken in the pot. Add the salsa and the canned chipotle chilies. Blend until mostly smooth. 4. Shred the chicken using 2 forks. Return the chowder to the pot. 5. Stir in the milk, cream cheese, and cheddar. Cook 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. If needed, thin with additional milk.6. Ladle the chowder into bowls. Top, as desired, with bacon, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and green onions. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on August 11, 2025
Hey there!
I was wondering if im supposed to leave the bacon grease in the dish and use that to cook the veggies?
Or remove the grease?
Hi Marcus! I normally leave a little bit of bacon grease in there to cook the veggies in for flavor, but you can just leave however much you prefer! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
Thanks Tieghan! This was easy and delicious. I made a little bit healthier version omitting the bacon, milk and cream cheese and used 4 cups chicken bone broth and blended about a cup of Greek yogurt with 2 cups fresh salsa before adding. It was more like a chicken chili consistency than a chowder this way, but I wanted it a little thicker. I will absolutely make this again.
Hi Sarah! So happy you enjoyed this one, and I love how you made it your own! The Greek yogurt and salsa sound like such a good twist! xT
I just made this. It’s literally heating up on my stove and I had to write a review. So great, sooo great.
Hi Margaret! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you loved this chowder! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂 xT
We thought this was delicious soup, but we didn’t like the shredded chicken — it was sort of stringy and detracted from the marvelous flavor of the soup itself, plus there was really too much of it. I love your soups with fresh corn in them and will make this again, but without the chicken breasts.
Hi Helen! I’m so glad you loved the soup itself! Totally hear you on the chicken, I appreciate the feedback! Skipping it or reducing the amount is a great idea, and the soup will still be just as flavorful with that yummy corn! Thanks so much for giving it a try! xT
I’m not sure why folks didn’t enjoy this recipe, it is delicious. I used cottage cheese instead of cream cheese and forgot to blend as Tieghan mentions in step 3, so my consistency is a bit thinner than you would expect for a chowder. It’s not super noticeable if you plan to reheat and eat as it seems to thicken as it cools. Another staple recipe from Half Baked Harvest!
Hi Shay! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you loved this chowder, and thanks for the kind comment! 🙂 xT
Delicious! Just made this for supper. The only thing I missed was adding the cilantro at the end, and I topped it only with the bacon. The color and texture remind me of a blended sweet potato soup recipe that I’ve made before. The flavor is spectacular! It did take me a good 1 hour 20 minutes from start to finish. When I have the time, I would enjoy making it again. ☺️
Hey Charis! Sooo happy to hear you enjoyed this chowder! Thank you for giving it a try! I appreciate all the input shared 🙂 xT
This was so spicy & honestly the flavor was not great…didn’t taste like a chowder at all.
Hi Morgan! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy this chowder! Is there anything specific I can help you with to improve the recipe? Let me know! 🙂 xT
Hi Morgan! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Thank you for letting me know, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help improve this recipe! xT
Usually I love chowder but this was a rough one!
Hey Emma! Oh no! I’m so sorry you didn’t love this chowder! Is there anything I can do to help? Let me know! xT
Very delicious!!! We took the chicken out then put in the salsa/chipotle peppers, and used our immersion blender to blend 3/4 of it, then shredded the chicken and put back in.
Hi Katrina! Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed this chowder! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xT
Yummy, lots of depth of flavor with this recipe. It was 2nd time making it. Thankfully I realized not to add 2 cans of Chipotle peppers, but just 2 peppers! LOL super spicy 1st time around, better now that I read directions more closely 😆 Very good!
Hi Karen! So glad you gave it a second try! Yes, those chipotles can be sneaky spicy haha but love that it turned out just right this time! xT
This happened to me, too! I did the whole can of chipotle peppers and the heat was intense. Still sooooo good! You really nailed the flavor combo, Tieghan. This was delightful.
Hey Rachel! Thank you so much for this input, I really appreciate it! Glad you still enjoyed this recipe! xT
Delicious!!!
Thank you so much! I am sooo glad you loved this chowder! Have a great weekend! 🙂 xT
All good except for REMOVING CHICKEN FROM THE POT BEFORE BLENDING!!! Wish I’d read this far into the recipe. Should make separately and add chicken after blending! What a job. Well, my fault I guess; I diced the chicken.
Hi Kathy! So sorry if there was any confusion! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! 🙂 xT
The recipe is very clearly written. Why leave a one star review if it was obviously your mistake? The recipe looks fantastic and I can’t wait to make it!
My thoughts when I read this too, Emma. My daughter made this a few days ago and it is delicious! PERFECT amount of heat and the flavors together are a win!
Thank you so much Amber! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these tacos! 🙂 xT
She didn’t leave a one star review for it, she was just noting it in her comment! 🙂
Tasted artificial and was way too goopy.
Hey Aria! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Thank you for the feedback! xT
Can I just leave out the cream cheese? Cream cheese in hot dishes give me the ick.
Hi James! You can leave out the cream cheese if you’d like, it will still be delish! 🙂 xT
Do the poblano peppers blend up pretty smooth when you add them whole like that? I’ve never tried that before.
Hi Liz! Yes, the peppers should blend up pretty smoothly! Hope you enjoy this recipe! xT
Do you add the poblanos whole or chopped?
Hi Alexa! Add the poblanos chopped! Hope you enjoy! Have a great weekend!
A common theme of your recent recipes seems to be copious amounts of cheese and/or butter. I’ve seen the comments; people have been frequently asking you for lighter recipes. It is still very much summer. You’ve said you get bored easily. How about challenging yourself to make some recipes without butter or cheese?
Hi there! I hear you, and I really appreciate the feedback! While I do love a cozy, cheesy, buttery recipe now and then, I also enjoy creating lighter, fresher dishes, especially this time of year. I’ll definitely keep your suggestion in mind and look at adding more recipes that skip the butter and cheese while still packing in plenty of flavor! Hope you have a great week! xT